7th October 2013 11:00
Spreading the message remains a golden key to the future
Ahead of Haile Gebrselassie winning the Great Scottish Run on Sunday, the Ethiopian legend spent time training with youngsters in Glasgow. When he finished, he then answered all their questions and the smiles on their faces showed how in awe of him they were.
A day later, even at the age of 40, he produced a brilliant run to triumph in the half-marathon through the city and at school on Monday morning, little doubt then about what the topic of conversation would have been.
Could a youngster's life have been changed by Gebrselassie and will a future star of European athletics emerge from the inspiration of listening to arguably the greatest distance runner in history?
Only time will provide the answer to that question but even now, in this modern age of technology, where information is available at the touch of a button, one constant remains with the past: emulating a hero.
Read more …
THE WEEK JUST GONE
Not only did Ukraine's Serhiy Lebid finish a marathon, he did so in style as he came second in the Roll 'n' Roll event in Lisbon in 2:11:24. It is some foundation for the multiple European Athletics Cross Country champion from a race where Kenyan Paul Lonyagata, the pacemaker, stayed at the front to win in 2:09:45. It makes him the fifth fastest European this year and could set him on the road to running the event at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich in August. At the same festival of running, Italy's Valeria Straneo, who was second in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, showed her form remains in fine style as she won the women's half-marathon in 1:09:23 ahead of Ethiopians Degefa Debele, second in 1:11:08, and Firehiwot Dado, third in 1:12:03.
THE WEEK AHEAD
A week that is one of the biggest in the European Athletics year with the European Athlete of the Year awards taking place in Estonia on Saturday night. It has been a magnificent 2013 for the continent's athletes which will be reflected during the evening where the award winners will be announced after the public and media voting that ended last week.
European leaders - half-marathon
Men
1. Mo Farah (GBR), 60:10 South Shields
2. Daniele Meucci (ITA), 61:06 New York
3. Carles Castillejo (ESP), 61:18 Granollers
Women
1. Hilda Kibet (NED), 67:59 Ostia
2. Lyudmyla Kovalenko (UKR), 68:59 Philadelphia
3. Lisa Stublic (CRO), 69:18 New York
COMING NEXT
Oct 13 - Beijing Marathon
Oct 13 - Chicago Marathon
Oct 13 - RheinEnergie Marathon (Colgone)
Oct 13 - French Cup (St Etienne)
Oct 13 - SPAR International marathon (Budapest)
IN BRIEF
- Both Austrian 10km road race champions defended their titles in Kirchberg as Valentin Pfeil won in 30:56 and Anita Baierl triumphed in 35:11.
- The future looks bright in the Vesely family. Vitezslav is the European javelin champion while his nephew Erik won silver at the Czech Under-15 Championships with 48.08m.
- At the 12th Verona Marathon, there was home success for Italy's Eliana Patelli, who won the women's race in 2:47:07, while Ioannis Magkriotelis, of Greece, won the men's 2:25:10.
- In the La Trentina race over 30km in Levico Terme, there were victories for Italians Giovanni Gualdi in 1:37:44 and Laura Giordano in 1:55:38.